# Is "Yellow Dog" by Martin Amis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Yellow Dog by Martin Amis (Jonathan Cape, 2003) is identified by: UK Jonathan Cape first edition, London, 2003, ISBN 0-224-05061-3 (9780224050616). The UK Jonathan Cape edition (published September 2003) precedes the US Miramax edition (November 2003).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Jonathan Cape first edition, London, 2003, ISBN 0-224-05061-3
- Novel of roughly 340 pages, octavo
- Bound in black boards with gilt-lettered spine; the copyright page carries a full descending number line terminating in 1 (first impression)
- First-state dust jacket retains its original printed price on the flap and is not price-clipped in the first issue
- Published 4 September 2003
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Martin Amis |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Jonathan Cape first edition, London, 2003, ISBN 0-224-05061-3 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK Jonathan Cape first edition, London, 2003, ISBN 0-224-05061-3 (9780224050616). Novel of roughly 340 pages, octavo. Bound in black boards with gilt-lettered spine; the copyright page carries a full descending number line terminating in 1 (first impression). First-state dust jacket retains its original printed price on the flap and is not price-clipped in the first issue. Published 4 September 2003.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Jonathan Cape edition (published September 2003) precedes the US Miramax edition (November 2003). Both appeared in 2003; Cape is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Cape impressions alter the number line so it no longer descends to 1 (and may add an impression statement); the first impression carries the full descending line ending in 1. No UK book-club issue is the identification trap here.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Yellow Dog* by Martin Amis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/yellow-dog
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.